


Lion Chronicles

by Empress_Of_Edenia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animal Behavior, Experimental Style, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, POV Animal, Pidge ship-centric, Smut, code names are used, lion behavior, lion courtship, piladin, the paladins are literally lions in this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-03-28 08:26:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13900164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empress_Of_Edenia/pseuds/Empress_Of_Edenia
Summary: Life is difficult out on the plains of Serengeti National Park. Things get even more complicated when you've got an entire pride to defend from nomadic invaders who want to take everything you own. Join Pidge, the Emerald Queen, as she tries to survive mating season.





	1. The Sapphire Knight

The heat of the late afternoon sun radiates across Serengeti National Park.

It arouses the lioness from her slumber. The only slumber she’s been able to get, ever since she went into estrus not too long ago.Worst of all, it will be next to impossible for her to go back to sleep, now that she has awoken. She picks herself up from the ground, only to plop back down onto her side after just a few steps. The lioness tries it again, but gets the same result. All she can do to alleviate the burning in her loins is roll on her back, swing her legs about and vocalize her woes to everyone nearby.

No matter how many tantrums she throws, they do not garner the attention of her pride males. Both of them are away on patrol duty, far too preoccupied to pay her any mind. Tired of rubbing against tree trunks and grass, the lioness gets up a third time. To her surprise, she is able to make her way to the watering hole. The lioness takes a satisfying sip, when she finally arrives. She gulps down more than one would expect of such a tiny creature. But it is all she can do to distract herself. The other females at the watering hole sense there is something wrong and come closer to her. Immediately, the ripe smell of estrus emanates from all around. They are unable to do much of anything for her, but keep her company regardless and continue to drink together. Such is the nature of a pride’s sisterhood.

Sisters, mothers, aunts and daughters, they are all queens in their own  right. There is something that separates the smaller lioness from them, though; she is the only one of their pride that has round, emerald green eyes. She looks to her fellow queens with those pretty eyes, asking them what to do about her turmoil. They nudge her to get up, indicating that the best course of action would be to go home and see if either pride male is ready to satisfy her. It is a sensible idea, though she groans all the same.

The Emerald Queen knows that they cannot stay like this forever, and dreads having to go back home in her state. They had better hurry along, because an outsider male lion is pursuing the group.

He had seen them from across the watering hole, after ditching his coalition brother and swimming through it just to reach them. Now shaking himself dry, the blue eyed male saunters after the lionesses as soon as they take their leave. Although there are at least thirteen females in total, he is more than up to the challenge of mating with every last one. Whether it takes him days or just a few minutes per lioness, the Sapphire Knight has enough stamina to go around. The sisterhood doesn’t feel the same, it would appear. The older and larger lionesses step forward in a display of aggression, peeling back their lips and snarling at the Knight to let him know whose territory he’s encroaching upon. The Knight only responds with a friendly puff in the hopes of winning them over. His charm is not working out for him, as the other lionesses join in the threat-making soon enough.

During this time, the Emerald Queen had been pushed to the back by the others. Her sisterhood knows full well that the Sapphire Knight followed them because of her scent and do their best to keep her away from him. Curiosity has overcome her, however. She pads up to the front line to inspect him, turning her head this way and that. A few of her sisters drop the display to look down at the Queen, as if to ask what she could possibly thinking, right now. Certainly she isn’t serious about considering the Knight, is she? The Emerald Queen is very serious about this, it turns out. She fixes the others with an unwavering stare that assures them that she can handle this outsider on her own. The sisterhood exchange glances with each other, but respect the Queen’s wishes. Threatening the Sapphire Knight one last time, they leave the two be.

Now that they are alone, the Knight wastes no time in sizing up this potential prize. He is not the only one taking stock. As he circles around her, the Queen gets a much better look at him. He’s almost as slender as she is, a far cry from the physique of her ideal mate. And that doesn’t even begin to describe the state of his terribly short mane. The Emerald Queen shows no clear signs of reluctance, but does not necessarily show any signs of keen interest, either. Perhaps her sisters were right to be wary of this one. She turns to go, but stops suddenly. Her urges are nagging at her once again, her legs wobbling underneath her as she fights to keep standing. There’s no telling when her pride males will be back from whatever it is they’re doing. She doesn’t know how much more of this she will be able to take before she goes mad. With only a few options at her disposal, she supposes he will have to do.

The Queen offers her rear end to the Knight so that he may scent her himself. He shoves his nose into her rear and breathes deeply. He pulls away to wrinkle the skin on his snout, letting his mouth hang open in a dopey grin. He could never get enough of that smell, not even if he tried to. The Emerald Queen starts off for home when he takes a little too long. She may be in need, but isn’t so desperate as to wait all day for him. The Queen looks over her shoulder to see if he is following. The look in her eyes says, ‘are you interested or not?’

Her indifference has no affect on him. In fact, it appears to quicken his pace. Though he is not so fast as to pass her by. He is, after all, still taking in the view of his latest conquest. From the line of her neck to the muscles in her back, the sight of her alone is certainly worth shirking his responsibilities for at least a few minutes.

The Emerald Queen finally comes to stop at her preferred resting place. No copulating is to occur just yet, though. Not until she has gotten good and comfortable. The cocksure Knight stays put as she trots here and there, looking for the warmest spot to crouch on. When she settles down, she presents her hindquarters to him once more.

He resists no longer. The Sapphire Knight has the Emerald Queen in his grasp sooner than she can blink. He grips his legs tight around her. His thrusts are quick and without much care for precision or form. But she likes that about him, as it gives her the chance to experience penetration over and over again. What she loves most is that he is a perfect fit for her. Though she prefers larger penises, it can be taxing on her body to accommodate them. This is a refreshing change for both herself and the sex-starved nomad. Unfortunately for the Knight, the climax is just a few thrusts away when it becomes apparent that they have company.

At last, her pride males have returned. The Knight is shaken from his ecstasy and loosens his hold on their lioness. Once free, the Queen has little time to make another move before she is flanked by both of the other two lions. A muscular gray lion guards her left and an even stronger yellow one guards her right. Each one bears a set of impressive fangs, which glint with saliva and ill intention. They take deliberate, hostile steps toward their target as their snarls become louder. No means of escape are to be found here. The Queen goes to hide, wanting no part of this impending scuffle.

Our blue outsider is not quite sure how he didn’t see them, when he followed the Emerald Queen. Nor how he could’ve possibly missed the scattered bones decorating their domain. All he knows is that the behemoths are coming closer. That he is outnumbered. They make quick work of the scruffy nuisance and pounce. A blow of the Gold Emperor’s meaty paw takes him down in an instant. The Sapphire Knight fights back to the best of his ability.

He thinks himself every bit as capable as these oversized contenders. Why shouldn’t he? His talent for clawing and biting at their weak points while evading their swipes is enough to convince him of that. Despite his best efforts, neither opponent gives in to his attacks. They throw him about as if he were nothing more than a rag doll. Two sets of teeth sink into his leg and shoulder, used to hold him in place while he struggles. He is worsening his situation by trying to resist. The Sapphire Knight manages to escape from certain demise, when the Silver Champion loses his grip. The Knight is much worse for wear, but alive. Covered in bites and slashes, he limps away with all of the energy he can muster. His tail stays tucked between his long legs the entire time.

The Emerald Queen exits her hiding place when the dust settles. She knew that this would happen if she wasn’t careful about going off to find new suitors, but it saddens her all the same. He wasn’t half bad, that knightly lion. Maybe one day, she will romp around with him again. But now she faces her consorts and comes to stand between them. It is not truly their fault that they act this way. It is a lion’s duty to protect the pride from outside threats and keep their coveted lionesses for themselves. Though they have ruined a good time, she is pleased to know that she made the right choice in keeping these lions as her kings. They have done well to prove themselves worthy, and now are to be rewarded.

She rubs her head against the Gold Emperor first. Her tail caresses the outline of his round face, before she turns to her Baron. The Silver Champion receives the same amount of love, with a bit of grooming thrown in for good measure. The Queen nuzzles into his full, black and white mane. She has a greater reward to give, as she never did get to finish mating. For that, she leads them elsewhere. Neither king will deny her, seeing that one of them will have to make up for spoiling her fun. They are close at her side so that they might escort their Queen somewhere better suited for making love.

Farther away and well hidden beneath a shaded bush is another male lion. He is from the same coalition as the Sapphire Knight, as a matter of fact. The red eyed male watches his wounded comrade limp back to their hiding spot in annoyance. The plan had been to ambush the pride at a more convenient time, but the Knight changed his mind about remaining hidden halfway through. All of those gashes he wastes time licking could’ve been avoided, had he left his ego out of the mating ritual.

The Ruby Fang meets with the Knight as the Fang comes out of hiding. They growl and snap at each other over the goings-on of the day, but mostly focus on the failed mission. As per usual, the Knight is not at all sorry for ignoring his coalition brother’s plans in favor of his own. He acts as if the wounds he bears are nothing to balk at, holding his head up high and trotting a little ways ahead of the other. This is typical behavior from the likes of him, but the Fang puts up with it. One day, this partnership will pay off and benefit them both.

While following the Knight to find a decent meal, the Ruby Fang steals another glance at the rival pride. The three have just finished their celebratory lovemaking and are now laying together in one large pile. Thankfully, the two kings are already asleep. As long as the coalition stays off of the pride’s territory, the beasts will keep to themselves.

But that is not what interests him. No, his sights are set on his rivals for just one reason: their Queen. She is also on her way to another nap, though still awake. He wonders if she has any idea that he’s watching her from a comfortable distance. It’s unlikely, but it doesn’t hurt to consider. His eyes linger on the Emerald Queen one last time, before he must give all of his attention to his brother in helping him acquire dinner. With dusk soon approaching, it will be the only time an all-black cat like the Fang can hunt without being seen.

Even from miles away, she never leaves his thoughts. With how sporadic, uncertain and difficult life can be with just one other lion, it is no wonder. Any animal in the Ruby Fang’s place would dream of a life where someone other than himself had to do most of the hunting, or one that guaranteed a familial unit to come home to after a long day. Oh well. There is always tomorrow for the two nomads to try their luck again. For now, though, the Fang and the Knight manage to pick off a zebra calf from a fleeing herd with relative ease. The Sapphire Knight does the honors of tearing open the carcass so that they can tuck in for the night.

The Ruby Fang vows that whatever obstacles may stand in his way, he will go to any and all lengths to begin a pride of his own. One that will last for many years and provide the stability he has yearned for ever since he was evicted from the unit that raised him. Even if it means stealing the goods from a well-established pride that has lived comfortably for much too long.

Their day to launch a real attack on them and ensnare the Emerald Queen will come. When it does, he will be more than prepared for it.

 

 


	2. The Gold Emperor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions run high as outsiders target the once peaceful pride, but Pidge still must mate regardless. To whom will she turn when Shiro's too testy to deal with her? Could Hunk be what she needs?

The Silver Champion growls and pants as he thrusts a few more times. He penetrates her until he is base deep, expending all of his energy.

Beneath him the Emerald Queen lets out a victorious roar. She announces to the world that she has, yet again, reached orgasm. She grits her teeth as she clenches tight around him, knowing he has already ejaculated but not quite ready to leave the moment. The Queen basks in the sensation of feeling so full, then lets the Champion go.

As he exits, the backward-pointing barbs on the Silver Champion’s member rake against her vaginal walls. He pulls out as gently as a lion can, but that is not enough to withstand _all_ of the pain.

The Emerald Queen misses him by an inch as she whips around to swipe at him. She bares her fangs to drive the point home, but her lover isn’t phased by her post-coitus aggression. This is how it always ends for them. Although it may hurt, scientists have reasoned that a male lion’s penis barbs are there to help a lioness ovulate. In any case, the Emerald Queen rolls onto her side in a state of tired bliss.

They both settle down to sleep for about fifteen minutes, perhaps twenty. But as soon as that’s over, the Queen is ready to go for round three. She raises her head to see where the Champion has padded off to.

He hasn’t wandered off too far from her, thank goodness. The Champion is now preoccupied with grooming himself, his amethyst eyes gazing out onto the perimeter of the pride’s territory. Although nothing is there to pose an immediate threat, the Silver Champion can smell and sense that someone is prowling on the outskirts, waiting for his guard to drop.

Her king is doing a terrific job, but this won’t do much for her current needs. The Emerald Queen rubs and ‘purrs’ beside him to get his attention, poised on her back with her tail swishing.

The Silver Champion doesn’t move from his post. He hardly even glances in her direction.

She gets up and squats right in front of him. No longer does she have to hold in all of that water she drank earlier in the day. The Emerald Queen relieves herself by his feet, then stands aside to let him sniff the puddle.

He looks down for a second, his nose twitching so that the scar going across it scrunches up. But that’s about all he does, before gazing out into the distance again.

She stares at him in absolute shock. Her Champion has never passed up a chance to indulge in her urine, before. Whatever’s out on that horizon cannot be more tempting than she is. The Queen just has to remind him, that’s all. Forgetting about the puddle for now, she runs playful circles around him and dashes in front of him once more. The Queen then settles into mating position for his convenience.

When that doesn’t rouse him, the Emerald Queen repeats her antics. She is on her feet much quicker this time, switching up her routine from running circles to jumping over his back in rapid succession. She only stops to drape herself over him, a deep longing rumble in her throat.

Still nothing from the Silver Champion, who is now purposefully trying to ignore her.

The Emerald Queen pushes her rear onto his shoulder, then sticks it directly into his face as she leans on him and continues complaining.

This finally gets the Silver Champion moving, but not to mate. He instead tries to walk away from her.

His Queen only follows, thinking that he wants to find a warmer spot to make love in. She weaves in between his legs along the way, ‘purring’ underneath him.

He steps over her as though to shake her loose and be rid of the frisky lioness. His pace quicken.

She has no trouble in getting beneath him once again, this time rubbing into his groin to make it even clearer what she wants. A warmer spot _would_ be nice, but she isn’t too picky. Where they are now will do.

The Queen has gone too far. Her Champion separates himself from her and roars at her as loudly as he can. The awful noise can be heard from at least five miles away. There’s no telling just how much of an earful she got, what with how close she was standing. The Silver Champion has all of his teeth on display, his head low so that she can see how foul a mood she’s put him in. It would seem that the sudden appearance of nomadic outsiders in the past few days has started to get to him and make him susceptible to stress.

The Emerald Queen, though terrified into lowering her ears and tucking her tail, meets his glare with one of her own. That outburst was uncalled for and he deserves to know that she doesn’t appreciate his temper tantrums.

Either out of shame or indignation, the Silver Champion turns on his heel to go. What he needs right now is time to clear his head, to focus on how he’s going to counteract the nomadic invaders before they have a chance to ambush them. He cannot do that while she distracts him. It will also give him time to come up with a proper apology.

Good, let him go on. After he snapped at her like that, the Emerald Queen wants nothing to do with him. If the Champion cannot provide for her when she needs him to, then she will simply go find another male. One male in particular comes to mind, and she knows exactly where he sauntered off to.

The Emerald Queen finds the Gold Emperor sleeping in a patch of grass closer to the other lionesses. She dreads this, hoping that he hasn’t used up all of his energy on them. She tests her luck by nudging him awake.

The Gold Emperor stretches with a yawn. He gazes up at her with a friendly look in his eyes. He almost seems to smile, in a feline sort of way.

She relieves the rest of her bladder near him and gives him some time to consider her request. Although he appears to be in a much better mood than the Champion, it’s a wise move not to flirt as vigorously as she did before.

Much to her delight, the Gold Emperor takes immediate interest in the puddle. He leans forward from where he lies and gets a nice, long whiff of her sample. A little slowly at first, which makes her fidget in place. He wrinkles his snout when he gets enough of her scent, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. The Emperor looks in her direction with lust in his warm brown eyes. ‘Don’t mind if I do,’ they say.

The Emerald Queen props her rear up high as she waits for him. Her tail swishes this way and that as she watches him come closer. She does not have to wait very long before the sheer weight of him pins her to the ground. A yowl of pleasure escapes her throat as the Gold Emperor inserts himself inside, stretching her beyond her full capacity.

His girth is the only thing she has to worry about preparing for, though. Like the Champion, the Emperor also buries himself to the hilt. He makes sure to hit that point with each thrust he pumps into her. And also like the Champion, he prefers to take his time with the Queen. Every thrust is deep, slow and rhythmic.

The Queen sighs beneath the Emperor, the nagging urge to mate and be paid attention to finally satiated. She knows it will be good, too. The Gold Emperor is always so thorough in leaving lionesses spent, even when he isn’t trying. She closes her eyes and savors it all.

While he thrusts into her, the Emperor bends down to run his tongue over the back of her head and neck. He doesn’t forget about his Queen’s ears, either. He runs the length of it over the shell of each one, before giving them both a nip. He brings those teeth down onto her neck, biting into fur and flesh, but never too hard. Just enough to bring her that much closer to the edge.

The Emerald Queen is most certainly balancing on that edge. She only needs a few more pushes in the right direction to reach her summit.

Before he is truly done with her, the Gold Emperor makes his last couple of thrusts count. He pulls out until only the wide, round head is grazing her slit, giving her time to recuperate from all of what she’s been taking. Then, as she goes limp in his hold, the Emperor shoves the full length of himself back in. He repeats this a second time.

She digs her claws into the earth as he snaps his hips against hers for the final time. Although the sheer circumference of his member is making it difficult, she finds it in herself to clench tight around him. Her abdominal muscles quiver as she holds him in place. The Emerald Queen climaxes earlier than he does.

It matters very little to the Gold Emperor. He ejaculates regardless, and he has quite a bit of semen to release in her before either are actually done. He throws his head back as he unloads it all, his black mane sweeping over his shoulders while he looks to the sky. His vocalizations rouse one or two other pride members from sleep.

The Queen collapses in a heap as he slowly, carefully pulls himself out. His barbs would also elicit a hostile reaction from her, but she is so spent and contented that she doesn’t feel much of anything. It is safe to say that the Emperor made love to the Queen until she grew numb. She melts right there in the grass, her limbs splayed out wide and the warm remnants of the Emperor’s seed oozing out behind her. Her head flops to one side, her jaw slack while she pants from exhaustion.

A sparkle of bemusement twinkles in the Gold Emperor’s eye as he watches this. He goes to leave her be and let her rest after braving their intense intercourse, but not before stooping down to give her a lick of praise. ‘You were so good for me,’ it tells her.

This time, the Emerald Queen takes a nap that lasts a couple of hours. She rolls onto her back, letting those hours drift by. When she opens her eyes again, dusk has fallen. It is time for her girl group to hunt down tonight’s meal. Gathering her bearings, she gets to her feet and goes to meet up with them.

The other lionesses are already prepped by the time she joins them, ready to go snag the largest prey they can sink their teeth into. It appears that the Gold Emperor will be spearheading tonight’s hunt as well. With the recent outsider threat, he feels it is a good idea for everyone to stick together. That, and a little extra muscle always helps in bringing larger prey to its knees. All that’s left to wait for is the arrival of the Silver Champion.

He shows his face sooner rather than later. Although his features remain stern, the Silver Champion’s eyes are brimming with remorse for his early actions. He turns most of these apologies to the Emerald Queen, coming to touch noses with her and rubbing his enormous head across her neck.

The Emerald Queen forgives him. She returns the nose touch and runs her own face along his neck, ‘purring’ quietly into his mane that she still loves her king.

With all of their squabbles put behind them, the pride moves out from the territory and onto their secured hunting grounds. One of the other lionesses saw a herd of water buffalo camping not too far from where they are, so she points the males in the direction she last found them.

The Emerald Queen follows the scent along with the rest of her pride. She bounds merrily at her sisters’ sides, but gets distracted every other mile they walk. She cannot shake the feeling that something besides a few midnight snacks are out there. Perhaps her Champion was right to be as paranoid as he was before. Especially when she sees a pair of sharp, ruby red eyes boring into her from a bush. No one else seems to see it, though.

She shakes her head in disbelief. The eyes are gone in a blink, so the Queen ignores what she saw for the time being and continues on with the hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to K-LionHeart, who was awesome enough to agree to beta-read these next two chapters and suggest the name change for Shiro. <33


	3. The Ruby Fang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This war between an established pride and two outsider nomads has finally reached its boiling point. Though the nomads may think they have the upper hand in this battle, one should never underestimate Pidge. For the Emerald Queen always has a trick or two up her sleeve.

Two weeks have gone by since the Ruby Fang and the Sapphire Knight tried to invade the rival pride a fourth time.

Needless to say, it’s not going well. They wouldn’t be out on the plains, appropriating kills from lesser creatures and looking for decent shelter if it was. The Sapphire Knight would love to blame all of their failings on his comrade, were lions able to speak like people. But that is only to cover up the truth of the matter. In reality, both nomads find it difficult to formulate a plan that doesn’t fall apart because of one or the other. They have faith, however, that an opportunity will present itself.

Where the nomads have failed in taking over the pride, they have made up in securing more honorary brothers to strengthen their coalition. It took many days of earning the two nomads’ trust, especially that of the Ruby Fang’s. But these new males have proven themselves worthy to stand alongside the Knight and Fang. With their strength in numbers, no competitor stands a chance against this band of outsiders.

Currently, the coalition is out on the prowl for any sort of lunch they can get their paws on. They come to a tree in the near distance. One of the new lions inspects the tree first to see if there is another predator lurking in the foliage. An inconvenient premeasure to take with three starving brothers waiting on his verdict, but necessary; there have been sightings of purple cheetahs in the area as of late. It is a charming idea to think of all big cats as neighborly, but such is not the case in the wild. To a lion, these lesser beasts only serve as rivals for food.

The tree is clear of any cheetahs or other predator-related threats. What’s more, the fresh, delicious remains of an impala have been left behind. There’s only one obstacle that stands in their way now: getting the impala remains, to be exact. Lions are not quite built for climbing trees. Most males are too big and heavy for such physical activity. Still, they must at least give it a try. Free meals don’t come around often.

Seeing as he is the lightest of the coalition, the Sapphire Knight attempts it first. He gets up there fine on his own, but is so ill-adjusted to balancing on perches that he slips through the branches and falls.

The third lion gives it a try, then the second. They can hardly get up on one branch before it gives beneath their weight. Neither will be climbing any trees, today.

With his lithe form yet substantial amount of muscle to help keep him stationed, the Ruby Fang turns out to be the most adapted to tree-climbing out of them all. He throws chunks of impala meat down to his brothers once he’s up there, showering them in the bloodied goods until each one of them has been given an equal share. The remainder of the carcass goes to himself, and the Ruby Fang settles onto a branch to savor it.

As he tucks into the carcass, the Ruby Fang surveys the rival pride’s territory. They aren’t up to much, at the moment. He can see the pride males spending some quality time with their lionesses, as well as a few new faces that weren’t there the last time he and the coalition staged an invasion. Looks like this year’s mating season produced a few offspring, after all.

The six-week-old cubs, all sharing a variety of features between their parents, approach one of the males with caution. The Gold Emperor seems to like them well enough, but the Silver Champion takes to them even quicker. Sensing his good nature, the young ones flock to him and play-pounce all over the delighted Champion. A few more cubs tackle the Emperor as well, leaving both fathers with plenty to do.

The Ruby Fang perks up when he catches a glimpse of the Emerald Queen. He watches her gaze upon the frolicking fathers and children, trying to read her thoughts but mostly keeping an eye on her and the pride as a whole. With both males present, now would be a good time to challenge them head-on and settle this. But before he can slink off to do so, the Fang spots a few of the cubs romping away from the lioness nursery. An idea hatches in his mind.

Quietly vocalising to his brothers, the Fang jumps down from the tree with skill and grace to rival that of a jaguar. All four are on the move as soon as they get into formation, with the Ruby Fang leading the way.

All in the pride is peaceful and calm, until the high-pitched cry of a cub breaks the silence. The Emerald Queen jerks her head up to see what the fuss is about, her eyes widening in terror.

One of her cubs is struggling in the jaws of the Sapphire Knight. The baby girl only has a few more seconds left to figure out that her life is in danger before the Knight crunches down hard on her throat and ragdolls her all around. He drops the body before moving on to find more victims.

The Emerald Queen and a handful of the other lionesses jump in to protect the cubs, who’re now scrambling to their mothers for cover. The lionesses give the Sapphire Knight a good retaliation fight, the Queen herself batting him in the face and ripping into his shoulder.

He knows full well that he is outnumbered again, but this time it does not matter to the Sapphire Knight. He is only serving as the distraction for a much, much bigger problem brewing on the other half of the pride. The Knight continues to run circles around them with his nimble, deceptive movements. When he sees another unprotected cub, he snatches the baby boy up into his teeth and darts away with him.

A streak of bravery courses through the Emerald Queen’s veins as she leaves the other lionesses to chase after the Knight. She will not let him make off with more babies than he has already killed. Not after she went through hell to keep them safe during their first few weeks of life. The Emerald Queen skitters to a halt when she sees the chaos.

The Ruby Fang and his two other lion brothers are going at it with the Gold Emperor. As he is the strongest of the two pride males, the coalition is targeting him primarily. Once he is dealt with, their takeover will be easier to complete. The Gold Emperor is doing his best, even with the three of them dangling off of him. He throws his body around in an attempt to shake them off.

They cling for dear life, one of them nearly tossed into the air by sheer force alone. But that coalition member re-assumes his grip quickly enough. The other grips tighter as well.

It takes the Ruby Fang to put an end to things. He rips open a gaping hole in the Gold Emperor’s neck. His brothers rip similar holes into the Emperor’s hide.

The Gold Emperor tries to keep fighting, but his feet buckle beneath him. The mighty lion falls, his eyes fluttering closed. He appears dead, but twitches here and there.

With him down, that allows for the Silver Champion to take full force and confront the self-appointed leader of this coalition. He locks his gaze with the Ruby Fang, encircling the rival male to entice him into doing the same.

The Ruby Fang obliges, his head lowered and his ears flattened against his skull. This is not the same dance that the Knight and Queen once took part in. One will come out of this deadly waltz alive, and only one.

The Fang strikes first, high off of his last supposed kill. He wastes no time and goes straight for the Champion’s throat.

The Silver Champion dodges out of the way, tearing at the Ruby Fang’s side belly.

Both lions battle like this for a while. Though the Champion is a powerful contender for the Fang to go up against, the red-eyed nomad is steadfast and stubborn in his efforts. Even when the Champion sinks his own teeth into the Fang’s neck and tosses him somewhere, he gets back up in a matter of seconds to charge again.

His coalition make their move to close in on the Silver Champion. Once the Sapphire Knight appears, all four nomads swarm the Champion. The Champion fights with every ounce of it left in him. But soon he, too, goes down for the count. Though he is still breathing and struggling to get back up, he could very well die of his injuries.

The Emerald Queen has a few options, here. She can try to flee with what remains of her pride, but there’s a good chance that the coalition will catch up to them sooner than they can find refuge. She could always stay behind to fight, and wind up like her gasping, panting Champion. But with all of the lionesses distracted, that just makes it easier for the cubs to wander around in their panic. Then there is the third option. One she doesn’t know for certain will work, but has the best odds out of all her plans. The Queen acts on it right away.

Before the Fang can deliver the killing blow, the Queen places herself between him and the Champion. She wills her fear away, showing him that she is not here to fight him. Rather, her body language and amicable ‘smile’ try to convince him that she has something else she would like to do with him.

He stops his attack, vocalizing to his coalition brothers to do the same. All eyes fall onto her, but as always, the Ruby Fang is watching her the closest.

Now that she has his attention, the Emerald Queen pours on the lioness charm. She rubs and ‘purrs’ against him, tracing his jaw with the fluffy tip of her tail. Her eyes gaze into his narrowed ones, peering through her thick eyelashes. ‘Don’t you want me, instead?’ she propositions.  


The Ruby Fang tries to keep his guard up, wanting nothing more than to drive her off, roar at her to go away. But he is spellbound by her. She’s acting far more submissive than the situation calls for and she smells _wonderful_.  


She rolls onto her back to seal the deal. Her tails swishes and flicks, wafting her scent up to his nose.  


He knows something isn’t right. He knows that he should be fighting her as he would her kings or anyone else that tried to get in his way of conquering the whole pride. But damn it, she’s just offering herself up without any care for her babies and it’s been so long since he’s been with a lioness. The Ruby Fang dips down to get a better whiff. With a deep, intoxicating inhale his snout wrinkles. It really _has_ been too long.  


The Emerald Queen rolls onto her stomach when she feels that she has him in her grasp. But she is not prepared for what this last-minute lover has to bring to the table.  


The Ruby Fang is on her in seconds. He sweeps over her like the forest fire blazing in his crimson eyes, thrusting hard and fast as soon as he’s inside of her. Like his Knightly counterpart, he is also a perfect fit.  


She stays submissive for the Fang, occasionally giving off behavior that fools him into thinking she’s still in heat. The Queen looks to her pride, signaling to them to take the survivors and run while she has the coalition distracted. Her expression is desperate.  


The matriarchy round up the remainder of their children. Those not preoccupied with the cubs try to rouse the wounded kings from the ground and escort them away. The pride pads as quietly as possible, careful not to draw attention to themselves as they stalk for new territory to call their home.  


His thrusts are as harsh as ever, once the Queen is left alone with the coalition. It’s as though he wouldn’t be able to stop even if someone were to pry him off of her. He brings himself closer, sinking his teeth into the back of her neck. The aptly named Fang bites much harder than any other lion she’s been with. Whether the blood on her neck is her own or that of her pride males is undecided. The Ruby Fang ups the punishment by digging his claws into her hips as he bucks.  


She knows full well that it should hurt more, that it should be unpleasant and that she shouldn’t be liking this one bit. But her body cannot lie to her. The Emerald Queen finds the pain turning into pleasure without a care for right or wrong. She pushes back into the Ruby Fang and matches his rhythm until she climaxes.  


He isn’t too far behind her. His seed is not as plentiful as she’s used to, but that’s okay. He finally got what he’s been lusting after for ages. The Fang abruptly pulls out.  


The Queen gets him good with a swipe after he scrapes her walls, scratching up his leg. That’s about all the time she has to get feisty, though.  


As soon the Fang finishes, the other coalition members get up from where they had been watching the pair to see if they cannot also get some release. The Sapphire Knight roars for the two newbies to get back. Unlike them, he was denied a proper climax the last time he trifled with the lioness. Admitting defeat for now, they go to join the spent Ruby Fang in looking on.  


It appears as though she’s going to be here a lot longer than she initially planned to. Good, it will give her pride that much more time to get to safety if they haven’t already. Ready to give her all for them and into the lust she’s been overcome with, the Emerald Queen flops onto her stomach yet again to let the Knight inside.  


The Knight isn’t as sloppy, this time around. With his incredible stroke of luck in the past few hours of the takeover, he will not treat this as though it is just some casual conquest. Now his bucking thrusts are sharp, precise and grind into her erogenous zones without any mercy. He is quick to shoot his load and exit.  


Eventually the newbies each get their turn. Though they’ve all ejaculated in her by the time the sun is dipping below the horizon, the Ruby Fang mates with her the most. It takes great discipline for the others enjoying the show to not interrupt. But the three grow tired after some time and let him have her.  


She cannot believe that he’s made it to a third session. What sort of lion is this that he has all of this stamina to lavish onto her? The Emerald Queen lifts her head to find any hint of normalcy in his gaze. All she sees is an unyielding drive, passion in what he’s doing and that each moment is cathartic bliss for him.  


He looks down at her, too. Through the bangs of his long, silky black mane, he ignites the heat pooling in her gut that makes her muscles shudder and sweat.  


On the cusp of her latest orgasm, she clenches tight around him. A strangled cry is all she has to say for herself as she gives into what her body wants for the third time. With his last load in addition to the others she carries, it fills her up to the very brim and spills out with the rest.  


Now that all five beasts are exhausted beyond belief, they shut their eyes to catch up on some well-deserved sleep. It is the best way for the coalition to cap off their celebration, for today was the most significant victory they have ever experienced.  


If only the Emerald Queen were so sure of her feelings. Her pride suffered greatly and almost fell apart, had her family not fought to keep them all together. Two of their strongest walked away severely wounded, while others did not get back up at all. God only knows how many of her babies are left. But she feels fantastic, for all of the soreness in her nether regions. And while it brings her a sense of shame, she enjoyed her time with the Fang. She allows herself to secretly revel in the afterglow for a bit longer before she stands. She looks over to the males.  


Still they slumber. Nothing will rouse them from it, judging by the depth of their breathing.  


The Emerald Queen cannot take the risk, though. She lingers for a minute to grieve over the territory she must now surrender, as well as the cubs she lost this day. Then the lioness sprints away, too pumped full of adrenaline to look back. Her hisses are soft as the consequences of her actions catch up with her, but she keeps running.  


She runs and she runs until the land she stops on is unfamiliar to her. The Emerald Queen can only hope that this is far enough, because she cannot go any farther without taking a genuine break. It is close to morning by the time she opens her eyes again. As soon as she gathers her wits, the Queen takes off at top speed once more.  


The Emerald Queen slows down when she can see her pride up ahead. A breath of relief exits her raw lungs, followed by a greeting roar to let them know she has returned to her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another big, hearty thank you to K-LionHeart for beta-ing this chapter. <333


	4. The Empress Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lioness needs a male to procreate, but who said she needed one to get off for the fun of it? When Pidge needs time away from her men, there's always a certain someone waiting for her.

As her mating cycle comes to a close, the Emerald Queen finds herself on the edge of apprehension.

This new territory is ripe with game and has a decent drinking hole, but those don’t solve all of her problems. At least two of her cubs were lost in the pride invasion and trying to rear new ones hasn’t yielded any results.

Not that they’ve had the time. The nomadic male lions have followed them to their new kingdom, despite their best efforts to get as far away as possible. Downtime they would spend napping has instead been preoccupied with fending the nomads off. Any time leftover is reserved for licking wounds and catching up on what little sleep they can get.

The Queen looks down at herself while sitting on her haunches. The scars on her chest and shoulders are the only things she has to show for it.

Her pride males are entertaining their children, although very lethargically. The Gold Emperor has long since warmed up to his babies and would love nothing more than to forget about this whole invasion by playing with them. But he is still recovering. The Silver Champion steps in when he senses that the Emperor has had enough. They give the nursery of other lionesses time to recuperate so that they might fight again, should the nomads be lurking about.

The Emerald Queen goes to check on said nursery, since she doesn’t see the nomads at present. It’s never a wrong time to strengthen her bonds with them and times like these could benefit from some TLC.

Most of the nursery is grouped together in twos or threes when she finds them. They vocalize a greeting at her and she responds. There’s one who catches the Emerald Queen’s eye the most. This lioness has distanced herself from the others. Is she just as troubled as the Queen about their future in this new place? The Queen goes to find out for herself. She vocalizes another greeting specifically for the other lioness to let her know that the Emerald Queen’s approach is a friendly one.

The albino lioness, known as the Empress Rose, returns her call with a more subdued response. Her unusual eyes of turquoise and bright pink give the Queen a onceover. They watch the Emerald Queen with serenity, wisdom and an unspoken dignity that the Empress Rose exudes from just her presence alone.

There’s something about this all-knowing gaze that puts the Emerald Queen at ease. Maybe the Empress Rose has a remedy for the Queen’s stress, she thinks. She looks over her shoulder at the border where the nomads could still be, then back at the Empress.

The Empress tilts her head in puzzlement at the Queen. It would appear that the Empress doesn’t have the answer anymore than the rest of the pride does. But she still regards the Emerald Queen with compassion. ‘Come sit with me,’ her eyes say.

Tired of patrolling in their pride males’ stead, the Emerald Queen joins the Empress Rose. The two lionesses watch the nursery and their males for a little while longer, basking in the window of peace that they’ve been granted.

The Emerald Queen sees something move out of the corner of her eye. She turns towards the Empress Rose. The Empress’ ear is flicking. She has a patch of dried blood on it from their last hunt. How she missed that is beyond the Emerald Queen. The Empress Rose is usually the cleanest one of the entire pride.

The Queen decides to help her out by reaching up and lapping at the brownish-red blood stain. It’s crusted on rather hard, so the Queen has to exert herself in removing it. Thank goodness for the barbs on her tongue.

Her harsh grooming doesn’t seem to bother the Empress at all. As a matter of fact, the Empress Rose soaks up the extra attention. The Empress tilts her head off to one side, her eyelids heavy from the euphoric state the Queen puts her in. She kneads the ground during all this. The Queen wraps her forelegs around the Empress to really get in there and lick off the last few bits of blood, then settles down once the other lioness is all clean. The Emerald Queen yawns in contentment at a job well done, when she feels the Empress returning the favor.

There isn’t as much dirt on the Emerald Queen’s body, so the Empress Rose is gentle in giving her fellow huntress a bath.

She knows which spots the Emerald Queen is most sensitive in, taking her time as she drags that tongue over each and every erogenous zone. The Empress Rose runs it down the Emerald Queen’s neck, down her back and comes to a stop at the Queen’s rear end.

The Emerald Queen ceases her ‘purring’ and opens her eyes. Her breath hitches as she waits for the Empress Rose to make her next move, wondering what the albino lioness plans to do.

The Empress Rose licks a line from the base of the Emerald Queen’s tail down to the Queen’s vagina. She stops here. At first the Empress just licks in a back and forth motion, teasing the folds in the hopes of getting the Queen to naturally open for her. When the Empress feels the Queen part wide, she inserts the tip of her tongue inside of the Emerald Queen.

The Emerald Queen vocalizes her pleasure, pushing her hips back into the Empress Rose’s muzzle. Though the mating cycle is almost over, the Emerald Queen still has one last romp left in her. And who better to have it with than a lioness she’s known since cubhood? Let the boys sit this one out. Her Empress will step in for them.

The Empress Rose pushes her tongue in, then pulls it out. She repeats this motion until she can feel the Queen getting closer to the edge. Just as she can sense the Queen is about to overload, the Empress switches back to licking her folds.

Agonizing as it is to be toyed with like this, the Emerald Queen is too deep into it to back out now. She bucks her hips again and again, then holds still as she orgasms for the first time today.

It is a rare occurrence for most lionesses to climax with the help of each other. As a matter of fact, this may be the first time that anyone has seen or recorded this pride in particular doing it. What happens from here could lead to new research on the behavior of lions.

Both lionesses rest for a moment. The Queen stays that way, but the Empress gets up and readjusts her position. When she settles again, the lionesses are laying down in a way where they’re facing each others’ genitalia. Their tongues lick, preen and pamper as they lay together, one lioness servicing the other. 

The Emerald Queen pulls the Empress Rose in close as she laps up the Empress’ folds, but has trouble getting her to climax in this way. The Empress Rose seems content to wait. She splays her back legs apart, letting the Emerald Queen work her up to one and enjoying their shared cunnilingus. In the meantime, she finds the Queen’s clitoris and pays attention to it. 

A low, strained growl in the Queen’s throat breaks the silence. Her clitoris is every bit as sensitive as that of a human female’s, and if the Empress keeps indulging the Queen in such pleasure, she’s bound to orgasm a second time. The Emerald Queen wants the two of them to orgasm together, so she stimulates the Empress’ own clitoris. 

With the Queen’s perfect timing, both lionesses succeed. There are no painful barbs involved, so there is a distinct lack of aggression from either of them. Which leads to the most tender, loving and intimate cuddle pile once they are done. 

They are awakened later on to the sounds of other lions. Lions that are not apart of their pride. 

The Silver Champion is already on his feet by the time the Emerald Queen and the Empress Rose join him on the front lines. As the three suspected, the Ruby Fang, Sapphire Knight and the other nomadic lions have come to challenge them all once again. 

The Empress Rose lashes out on the attack this time, with the Queen and Champion right beside her as they wage yet another battle. The others are not too far behind, although a few lionesses stay back to protect the cubs and hide them underneath some brush.   


The Emerald Queen’s pride does not fare as well as they did before, their members taking more damage and their numbers falling faster than they ever have. To the horror of everyone on the opposing side, the Ruby Fang has recruited _more_ nomadic males to join his coalition. What had been only four outsiders to contend with has now extended to eight. With the Queen’s pride short one male and several lionesses in hiding, their chances look dire.   


But the Queen raises the spirits of her army with a roar. She won’t give up on any of them, so long as neither of them are willing to give up on her. A chorus of roars respond in kind to her declaration. They follow her into combat with the confidence that they can win this ongoing war and live to tell the tale to future generations. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to ShyGreenFox for beta-ing these last couple of chapters. <3


	5. A New Kingdom Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have gone quiet in Pidge's pride ever since that last attack. A group of curious humans go searching for the legendary kingdom, only to find that the tides have turned, and not in Pidge's favor.

Months later, a vehicle with two passengers in the back drives around the national park in search of the Emerald Queen’s pride.

“Are we there yet?” one of the passengers asks. The woman, Nyma, fiddles with a gold lock of hair while she skims over the map spread out across her lap.

“Almost!” chirps Coran, the safari guide driving the vehicle. “We’re just slowing down for a few pedestrians who need to get by. Shouldn’t be too long.” He gestures to a flock of birds walking along the dirt path.

The man sitting next to Nyma, called Rolo, raises his eyebrow. “Uh, can’t you just honk at them?”

“It wouldn’t do to have a flock of kori bustards descend on us like mad dogs, now would it?” The safari guide holds up a gloved finger as he explains the dangers of a bird attack. “I doubt they’d move anyway.” 

“If you say so,” Rolo says, crossing his arms and chewing on the toothpick in his mouth.   


As Coran predicts, the kori bustards move on eventually. He picks up the pace once they’re gone, which placates his antsy passengers. He can’t really blame them. Observing the apex predators of the Serengeti is one of Coran’s favorite things to do here, as well. Although watching the ground pangolins comes in at a close second. 

The vehicle powers through several more miles of road before all three humans reach their destination. Coran is careful to park his car far enough so that they aren’t a threat or an inconvenience to the Queen’s pride. But he doesn’t make an effort to hide them, either. As long as his passengers stay inside of the car at all times, while out in the open plains, there’s nothing to worry about. The lions here are so used to the presence of humans that one or two pride members just saunter on by with little regard for them. Rolo immediately whips out his digital camera and begins filming the lions, once Coran deems it safe.   


Nyma also snaps a few pictures via her cellphone, but looks up from it after taking one. She squints at the pride from the car window, then turns around to look at Coran. “You’re sure this is the same pride, right?”   


“I’m as certain as a dead rhinoceros’ hoof!” Coran responds. “Why?”   


“The male lions you talked about on the first day don’t look anything like these,” Nyma said, turning back to look at them. “I don’t see yellow or grey ones.”   


“Ah, now I see what you’re getting at,” Coran says, looking over her shoulder. “I hate to put a downpour on our week of fun, but it looks like the Fang and Knight usurped the other two, in the end.”   


“Whoa, they just killed them off?” Rolo asks.   


Coran shakes his head. “It’s common out in these parts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s what happened, this time. Though if it did, whatever’s left of them would probably make for a good photo op!” 

Rolo grimaces at the cheery tone in Coran’s verdict. He decides to stop asking questions for now and goes back to filming the lions.   


“You mean you didn’t even get to see it?” Nyma asks with a pout. 

“I know!” Coran responds, sharing her disappointment. “The _one_ time I’m called away to handle someone else’s problems, too.” He eases back into the driver’s seat. “That’s the job for you.” 

One of the new cubs, curious about the strange ‘animal’ that’s appeared on the plains, pads over to the vehicle for a closer look. She has an all-white coat like the Empress Rose, but her eyes are ruby red like her father’s.   


“Aw. Don’t move, okay?” Nyma says, pointing the camera in the cub’s direction. The end result is probably the most crystal-clear photograph of a lion cub that any amateur has ever taken on one of Coran’s safaris. Nyma will be sure to post it to every social media site she has an account for, when she and Rolo go home.   


The millisecond Nyma saves and titles the picture, the albino cub’s father vocalizes to the little ball of fluff. The Ruby Fang stands there while he waits for his cub to return to him. He reprimands her for venturing too close to danger without his supervision, but he tries not to be harsh. The Ruby Fang fixes his gaze onto the vehicle, communicating to the humans inside that this is _his_ terf, and that his babies are not to be messed with. When he is certain they’ve gotten the message, the Fang leaves the humans be. If Rolo or Nyma are scared by the display, they don’t show it. Nyma also snaps a picture of the Ruby Fang, while she’s at it.   


Rolo continues to film the lions. He zooms in on the lionesses in particular to observe how they are responding to their new kings. From where he’s sitting, the Empress Rose is content to try and make peace with the males, especially the Ruby Fang. The two of them are grooming each other right now, as a matter of fact. But when he looks over at the Emerald Queen, she isn’t so keen to accept them. The Sapphire Knight tries to lay with her, only for the Emerald Queen to snap her teeth at him. She shoots a sour look at the other males who’re thinking of trying it, as well.   


“Hey, Coran?” asks Rolo. “What happens when a lioness doesn’t want the male lions in her pride anymore?”   


“If there’s enough dissent among them, the lionesses will group together and drive the males out. Well, maybe not so simple if they put up a fight,” Coran answers.   


Rolo smirks. “So does that mean the Fang and the Knight are gonna get kicked out soon?”   


“That seems to be in this pride’s future, yes. Though I wouldn’t do it, if I were them,” Coran says.   


“Why not?” Rolo asks.   


“Well, it isn’t  every day that a pair of strapping young lions come along. A pride can struggle without male interference for many years. That’s a long time to spend doing the work of two parents at once. So unless they prefer hardship to a stable life, that’s the best way to go about it,” Coran explains.   


Rolo nods. “Have you seen the Champion around anywhere, since he might still be alive? Or the Emperor?”   


“About a month ago, I saw the Silver Champion foraging for any food he could get his paws on,” Coran says. “He was doing a rather good job of it, too! Unfortunately, the Gold Emperor wasn’t with him. I’ve been wondering what’s become of him myself, now that you bring it up.” 

Nyma makes a worried sound, but doesn’t really say anything.   


Coran continues. “The Champion was hunting not too far from his former pride, believe it or not. No one broke out into a fight, though. He just sort of stared the other males down and left.”   


“I hope the Emperor’s okay,” Nyma says, gazing out far beyond the Emerald Queen’s pride and into the distance. “And that the Champion’s with him. After what you told us, I hate to think of them both being all alone.”   


“Who knows? They might have started a new pride on their own,” Coran says, his voice tinged with a bit of hope. 

Coran allows the two tourists to finish taking in the sights of the pride and saving mementos for their friends back in the States, then calls the outing to a close. “We’ve got plenty of other things to do today and a village of friendly locals waiting on us,” he informs them. Though they are reluctant to say goodbye, they know this will not be the last time they book a trip to Tanzania. Nor is this the end of these lions’ lifespan. Rolo and Nyma feel in their hearts that they will cross paths with the Emerald Queen and her pride again one day soon. With that semblance of a promise, they wave to the lions and look ahead while Coran drives off.   


The pride watches as the humans go, their intense gazes lingering on the vehicle until it is nothing more than a speck in the distant stretch of road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take this time to thank everyone whose agreed to help me get this project off the ground, keep it going and finally bring it to a close. I also want to thank anyone who has made it this far. Hope you enjoyed my fic experiment. <33

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to both dragonetgirl and K-Lionheart for beta'ing this first chapter. Y'all came through for me, just in time. <3 
> 
> I already said in my summary that Pidge's code name is Emerald Queen. The others are as follows: 
> 
> Sapphire Knight = Lance 
> 
> Gold Emperor = Hunk 
> 
> Silver Champion = Shiro 
> 
> Ruby Fang = Keith 
> 
> Empress Rose = Allura 
> 
> I apologize if some things in this series are 101% accurate to IRL lions. Really, I did my best. ;A;


End file.
